


Street Art

by cattieju



Category: Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Brotp, F/M, OTP Feels
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-11-22
Updated: 2016-06-23
Packaged: 2018-02-26 15:17:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,359
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2656778
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cattieju/pseuds/cattieju
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A proposal to travel and assume the direction of a museum on a distant town, as small as said museum was, was no small opportunity. Of course… She was not expecting to find adversaries that had nothing to do with the museum and a lot to do with Art itself.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Street Art

**Author's Note:**

  * A translation of [Arte de calle](https://archiveofourown.org/works/2656769) by [cattieju](https://archiveofourown.org/users/cattieju/pseuds/cattieju). 



> This is my first time writing an AU setting, and obviously it had to be with my number 1 OTP. A big portion of this first chapter will feature my most beloved BROTP: YamuraihaxHakuei, but I promise that the main pairing will have a big part on the next one. Still, I hope you all enjoy it. 
> 
> As always, thanks for your help with the translation, Cristy.
> 
> The characters belong to Ohtaka Shinobu.

The Rens were known for dedicating their lives to hunting art pieces, searching only after the best and most renowned artists from every era, in a line of business that went back to the family’s oldest generations; The time had finally come for her to take on the family trade, and to such proposition Ei had agreed to gladly. 

It was time to change all the things she was used to up to that point; Of course… she didn’t exactly expect for the town she was headed to be ruled by a gang of “street artists”. 

A canvas, it was filled with exaggerated mixed elements that appeared unconcluded and looked very confusing. Of course! –she exclaimed inwardly-. Every artist has a perception, a particular manner and technique to transmit what they are feeling and living… but objectively, that was a royal disaster, it was as if every law dictated to protect the public spaces was missing from the town. 

It was honestly quite interesting to look at the first few times, but after a while, living in such a place wouldn’t be as entertaining as it would be overwhelming – Hakuei reflected, unable to move her eyes from the overly-expressive panoramic. 

She observed as officers situated on certain areas around the town appeared to be completely unfazed by the actions of these graffiti artists... 

He eyes got quickly accustomed to the madness painted all over the place, so she was almost dazzled by the sight of the white and untouched front of the museum. But… how long will it stay that way?- she wondered with a twinge of resignation. If you expect the worst from a situation, the shock and disappointment wouldn’t be as big once something finally happened, that’s what she had learned throughout the years. 

Hakuei walked across the museum’s entrance and studied the large space around her. It had an essence of damp wood and confinement. She decided to open the two great windows on the front wall to help circulate the air, the fresh breeze that immediately crept inside made her smile. Then, she went up the stairs, which seemed to be stable enough despite spending such a long time unused. A meeting room and two big office rooms were the contents of the second floor, she could already imagine how the place would look after some repairs and furnishing… Though it was somewhat frustrating not knowing whether people in town would be interested in visiting a museum after living inside a giant moving painting for so long, or if the tourists would stop by and visit without growing dizzy and tripping on things on the way. Despite all her doubts, little by little Hakuei was growing more excited for the challenge. 

“The paintings will arrive in two weeks, so I have enough time to organize and leave this place looking spotless.” She excitedly said to herself. 

Her cousin had offered to send helpers to assist putting the site together; Hakuei had declined without a second thought. But now she was starting to realize that she would indeed need help to complete all the chores she had planned for the place. 

“Well, I’ll take care of that tomorrow, today I must find a place to sleep.” Kouen had also asked her to let him take care of the moving arrangements for her; an offering she had refused, as well. 

“I will look for something when I get there. Some place I like and where I feel comfortable, you don’t need to worry.” she had said, hoping to calm his cousin’s apprehension.

The sun was hiding and Hakuei had already gone through thousands of places with no success. By then, she was well on the path of self-judgment. Why didn’t I listen to Kouen? How Impulsive! Now look at me, wandering around while carrying all these heavy suitcases.

“Excuse me…”

“Only I would think of throwing myself into a new place without having some form of forethought. Seriously!” she kept on ranting without taking notice of the person following closely behind her. 

“E-excuse… me”

“And if I call my family, they will surely want to butt in my business now. No, nope, that I won’t allo-“

“EXCUSE ME!! HERE!” the person finally screamed after seeing she wasn’t going to stop mumbling. 

Hakuei turned around, surprised, but then she sent a warm smile to the stranger. “Do forgive me, I was talking to myself and I didn’t hear you. How can I help you?”

If anything, Hakuei was the one who was in need of help, but the girl with the messy mane of turquoise hair didn’t mention it and asked directly. “Are you looking for an address?”

What an interesting hair color- Ei thought before responding with honesty “Oh! Darling, that would be wonderful! I just arrived in town and I was looking for a place to spend my nights, somewhere comfortable and safe will be more than appreciated. Do you happen to know of a hotel or inn where I could stay for the time being?”

“Well, I don’t know of inns or hotels around this area; I live on the next block. The apartments are small but they cover all the basic needs. Of course… in order to live peacefully you must have the money to rent one and support yourself.” she said with an anguish that was deep and genuine. 

“I’d love to check them out… And I know it’s a bit weird to have a stranger ask you this but… why do you look so sad and depressed? Did you have a bad day?” Hakuei questioned, good intentions at heart, not expecting the river of tears she was flooded with the next second.

Now, they sat at Yamuraiha’s –that was the name of the girl with the gloomy expression- lovely living room. Ei put sugar on her tea as she commented “I can see you have a really good taste for interior design”

“That’s what I do… Well, did.” Yamu said after sitting on the pastel pink couch, a big contrast to the turquoise of her hair and the white of her rather pristine clothing. Hakuei sighed, sipped her tea and waited for the other girl to continue. 

“Today I’ve been fired over… some sort of misunderstanding and I don’t think I can support myself for more than a couple of months without a job.” Ei moved closer and used her handkerchief to wipe the tears that were rolling down the girl’s cheeks once again; after a moment of reflection, she spoke, smiling. 

“You shouldn’t worry, Yamu… I believe I have a solution for your problems, as well as for mine.”

Hakuei had grown fond of that little apartment and felt relaxed with Yamuraiha’s company in the unfamiliar place that was this town. And so, they agreed to work together at the museum and live under the same roof.

After having spent the entire night making plans to furnish and renew the place, they both came to realize how lucky they’d been to have found each other. 

\--

In a few days’ time, the pieces collected by one of her cousins in Reim would arrive. The city was really far away, but it also happened to be the nest of the most recognized artists of the time. Ei admired the work from two or three of them, but none was like him. 

The pearly walls of her office were dry and the first item she would decorate them with would be that one painting that had stolen her heart so many years ago. She remembered insisting and even… whining (why bother denying) to her father to make him buy it for her; Her dad didn’t understand his little girl’s stubbornness over getting that mysterious, almost eerie creation; she herself didn’t quite understand it but she felt a special connection with the picture, and it had remained throughout the years. 

The artist didn’t reach fame in life, but he had become Hakuei’s dream. 

Finding out about the man’s death, five years ago, had crushed her.  
Despite not having seen him on any occasion other than when they got the painting for her, he had conveyed unmeasurable emotions for her through his craft. 

A part of her grieved the fact that he had remained in anonymity, singing all his work with a simple “B”, and as nothing was known of his family or place of birth, her search had been exceedingly complicated. On the other hand, she was glad that no greedy collector or art seller had gotten their hands on those paintings that had been so unappreciated in their time. Still, she never gave up, her plan was to find B’s work and provide it with its due merit. Even though, if she were to be honest, to be able to appreciate its magnificence one last time would be enough for her. 

“The furniture on the conference room is already…” Yamu cut herself and stopped short at the sight of the frame Ei was hanging. ‘Ice cream’ as Hakuei had taken to calling her, went pale for a moment but recovered after a few minutes. “Tha… that’s a very startling painting.” she said to justify her initial reaction, as she entered the room. 

“It is.” Hakuei agreed looking back at her beloved piece. 

That night, they got home feeling extremely exhausted, since they had painted and dusted everything on their own. Hakuei had setting the key on the lock when two boys walked from behind her, greeting Yamuraiha –they wore big sneakers, ripped jeans and huge sweaters-. They were both tall and fit. Ei took her time observing the singular group; they too had very interesting hair colors. Even with the boys having black caps on their heads, she noticed that one of them had short hair with a bright reddish color, while the other’s was white with silver locks that contrasted with his tanned skin. 

They turned in her direction when Ice cream pointed at her, their eyes met Hakuei’s for a millisecond and then they turned to Yamuraiha to talk to her in a confidential tone. Yamu frowned at them and seemed to be warning them of something. The two guys walked away from her then, leaving her while she was still talking and with a worried expression on her face.  
Hakuei didn’t get a good feeling from such an encounter but she would have to wait to ask Yamu about it, maybe tomorrow, today all she wanted to do was have a bath and fall on her bed. 

The next day she would find her answers without having to ask. The impeccable front of the museum was impeccable no more.  
The graffiti artists had taken care of making it look like a scene from a horrid carnival. 

She left without saying a word. 

\---

“Chief, you have a visitor.”

“I thought I had clearly stated that I have no time to meet anyone today.” Sinbad grunted. 

The assistant doubted for a moment and then continued talking, nonetheless. “Chief, it’s the new owner of the abandoned museum, she came to report an act vandalism on her working area.” A half-smile graced his face and disappeared as quickly as it had come. 

“Alright, you can let her in.” Sinbad ordered with a trace of annoyance, as he stood up to put the files that had been entertaining him since early this morning on a stack in the neighboring shelf. So, I get to meet the owner of that “museum”, he thought mockingly. 

“Miss, sorry to keep you waiting. You can come in now.” the adorable young man with freckled cheeks said, signaling at the door to the office of the good-for-nothing chief of police. 

“Good afternoon.” Hakuei said without much sentiment after crossing the door and standing as stiff as a statue, waiting without being invited to sit down. 

The man had his back to her, but he turned around at the sound of her voice with a smile that disappeared from his face once he set eyes on her.


	2. Indelible piece from the past

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It was his first time attending an art exhibition and he was planning on getting the best out of the opportunity, but he didn’t expect the distraction that came with a suspicious stain that just couldn’t be erased, not even with a flood of tears.

He remained speechless, his eyes set on her. What could be the problem with this strange man? He’s starting to scare me. Hakuei pondered, frowning. 

It’s her… the girl from that one time. Sinbad mentally confirmed. 

 

—15 years ago—

“Let me go with you this time” It was done. He had said it.  
Sin was already 16 years old and felt full of the courage needed to formally make such a request. His father had never explained the reason behind his constant refusal to the possibility of joining him on the public exhibitions of his work, but the time had come. 

His mother intervened after noticing the prolonged silence. “Badr, dear… Let him join you at least once”

“I would love nothing more than to have you come with me, my boy… But I’m just trying to protect you…” his father stopped, a deep sadness lingering on his eyes as he smiled at his son. 

What was it that he feared so much? It had been months since the boy had been able to catch bits and pieces of a conversation between his parents; his mother had been asking about letters and threats with a shaking voice, yet he still couldn’t fit the pieces together. That was one of the reasons why he knew it was necessary for him to tag along with his father this time. There was also some other curious feeling, as if destiny kept pushing him to go. 

 

“I could show up on my own, father. I won’t get too close to anyone and no one will suspect we’re related” Sinbad quickly devised. It still took two more hours of convincing, but finally, Sinbad found himself at the entrance of the big gallery he had dreamed of visiting ever since his father debuted. 

His clothes looked impeccable despite being simple. White pants, white linen shirt which was starting to feel tight around his frame, and a bluish purple vest. He was undoubtedly a very handsome young man with the right amount of poise to boot. 

All the guests displayed composure in both their clothing and behavior. Whispers and exclamations traveled through the room and dissipated in some remote area of the building; the mixed aromas from different perfumes filled the place; trays with wine and champagne would come and go. It was a new but interesting experience. 

Sinbad seized a glass of wine as if he had done the action a million times before -the waiter threw a severe glance, which he gracefully ignored- and begun his mission of finding some clue on the “threats” directed at his father. 

“Such an exquisite work!” 

“Truly extraordinary!”

“Magnificent and shocking!” were some of the adjectives swimming through the room, Sinbad’s route was proving to be rather useless; he was well aware of how exceptionally talented his father was, he had seen the man work devotedly on each of the now exposed pieces. But it was necessary to find the right people to further his investigation.

He deliberated and stopped in the middle of the place in order to get a panoramic view of the gallery; that was when he caught sight of her. Hair long and black as night, and porcelain skin, she was a girl of 8-9 years approximately; her stare fixed on one the most notable pieces from his father’s collection. Both Sinbad and his mother had insisted on not including that specific piece on the exhibition, but it was now obvious that the artist had ignored their request. The girl, on the other hand… did she ever blink? Sinbad was moved by curiosity as he started approaching, only to stop at the sight of two men walking towards the girl. One of the men touched her shoulder in a protective manner, probably her dad, the other turned out to be the artist, or more accurately his father. Sinbad couldn’t help feeling drawn to the conversation being held by the small group, but he had to keep his promise and stay far from his father, so he kept his distance, unnoticed but privy to their talk. 

“Good, ev-…ening, sir… My name is –Ei” the little girl muttered, her cheeks flushed, introducing herself to his father. Oh! She had a small stain on her porcelain chin, why hasn’t anyone cleaned it? Her pale pink dress could get dirty- She’s probably been eating chocolate- Sinbad observed slightly distracted as a soft murmur brought him back to reality “Dad, I want that painting” she pointed her finger to the piece in front of them. “That one is not for sale, my dearest… but we can search for one that’s just as good” her father replied condescendingly while his own smiled, it was clear that he liked these people. Sinbad looked back at the girl and realized she had started sobbing. Yes, yes, he had seen it and lived it many times; little kids could be masters in the art of manipulation; Though… either the little girl was very skilled or unreservedly honest. 

Her cries became more intense despite not including hysteric screaming, fat tears rolling all the way down her cheeks to her chin. But, how? Isn’t that torrent of tears going to erase that stain? How strange. Sinbad furrowed his brows. Ei -that was what she said her name was- run out of the gallery area and they saw her enter one of the miniscule supply rooms. 

“I’m afraid you’ll have to sell it, Badr” a man exclaimed, exuding an aura that was anything but reliable as he approached. “Take this chance while you still can” he whispered, smiling as he passed his side. 

Sin knew his father well and didn’t miss the tension that seemed to invade him as the strange man with white hair and malicious eyes got closer. His search was finally going to pay off, though his father’s distress didn’t please him in the slightest. 

“The Captain has asked me about you, he didn’t receive an invitation, just like me! A great mistake on your part, I must say, Lieutenant Badr” the man continued without hiding his bitterness. “After all the terrible situations we’d been through during the war” 

“What are you doing here, Lieutenant, if I may ask?” Badr asked, having recovered from his shock. 

“I don’t know. I think I was just curious to see how you captured one of those revolting scenes that we pre--” the man started explaining but was interrupted by Ei’s father. 

“Actually, whatever you have to say is not of importance; I would appreciate it if you went on your way” he sent a warning look that the fuming man heeded without protest, not before grunting disrespectfully. 

“Badr, what really is transcendental here is that you sell me that piece for my little princess” the man finished happily. 

“Hmm” Once he got home Sinbad would analyze that short but singular exchange. For now, after watching his father revert to his relaxed stance, he went after Ei to give her the good news. Surely, his father would sell that magnificent piece to the little girl’s own. 

He knocked on the door twice and went into the supply room. It was kept in the dark, the girl must be very brave, any other kid would have turned on the lights right after entering the room. He heard a restrained sob; if she was crying there, where no one could see her, then she really appreciated his father’s work. The sensations he was feeling didn’t make any sense to him, but pride and contentment were there, deep inside. 

“Hello…” Sinbad greeted with a playful smile that was hard to see in the dark of the room. The girl was curled up in one corner of the small place. He started approaching her and an aroma similar to fresh flowers and tears invaded his senses. “Refreshing…”

“Why are you crying? The artist B has accepted to sell the painting to your dad” he whispered, trying to calm her. “That… is th-that true?” the adorable Ei hiccupped.

“So I heard!”

She snorted. “You don’t believe me?! Why don’t we wipe your tears and you go see for yourself?” he provoked her while his fingers cleaned the traces of tears off her face, a soft light was filtering through the crack of the door and as she moved a little, Sinbad could once again see the spot on her chin. He rubbed at it with his still wet fingers, but the mark didn’t disappear… He stood and prompted her to copy him, their fingers intertwined and her almost translucent eyes meeting the molten gold of his own. 

“That mark you have there… I’m afraid it’s indelible” he told her smiling. 

“I’m afraid so, sir…” the still tearful Ei smiled back. 

\---  
Seeing her felt like a punch from the past itself. Despite having never forgiven nor forgotten the ones to blame for his nightmares and bad memories, there were some recollections he preferred to keep under the rocks of the deepest sea, a certain portion of that night was precisely one of those; Even if the woman also came with reminder that not everything from that obscure night had ended in disaster… Now, both the smell of fresh flowers and the indelible mark were back after all those years, right in front of him. 

Sinbad walked closer, took that face in both of his hands and brought it closer to him, he felt himself drowning into those crystalline eyes that had gotten darker after all the years, transforming pure innocence into sensual maturity. 

Running his right thumb through her chin, he wore his most practiced and enchanting smile as he said: “That mark you have there… I’m afraid it’s indelible”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for Reading my little story! Things are getting trickier bit by bit, I hope I can come with the next chapter soon!
> 
> I really hope you like it ♥!  
> Characters belong to Ohtaka Sinobu.  
> Thank you Kuri, always always!!


	3. No doubt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thousands of images, somewhere between illusions and memories, flooded her head; after so many years, destiny had intertwined the paths of those two strangers once again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, I had so much fun writing this part, I will upload two chapters at one because I know I took too long to update, I hope you enjoy them! Thank you always for reading me!  
> Thank you a thousand times to Cristy for the translation, you are love!  
> All characters belong to Ohtaka Shinobu

Hakuei subtly removed her hands and stepped away from him. A sheriff who was cheeky on top of being lazy - she sighed. People in this town could count themselves lost. She massaged her temples, giving some time for some patience to show itself to her, and finally looked at the man. 

Things worked rather casually at that place, it seemed; he didn’t wear any uniform, only a vest and black pants that contrasted with his white shirt, half of which was open. The only piece identifying him as a “man of the law” was his holster and the golden badge pinned to the fine vest. Hair in disarray reached his shoulders and one of his ears was adorned with a small golden earring. He resembled a pirate, admittedly a very clean one. 

“It’s a birth mark, of course it is indelible, sir” Hakuei said flatly. 

“No, no, call me Sinbad or darling, if you prefer” the man responded while he sat on his desk, his playful smirk never leaving his face. 

She ignored him and bounced back. “That’s not important. I demand a punishment for the people who disrupted the front of my workplace by acting like a bunch of spoiled children.”

“Hmm” was the only answer she got from him after a pause. This man could be truly infuriating. “Very well…” Sinbad cut his own train of thought. “They will get their well-deserved punishment, miss” he nodded, standing up to open the door for her. “You have nothing to worry about. Now, if you excuse me, I must get on with this matter right now” and so, Hakuei was led out of the Chief’s office.

Sinbad was finally able to breathe; following an impulse seemed to have given the woman a big clue. She didn’t seem to remember having met him during any point of their conversation but he couldn’t really lower his guard, his secret mustn’t be known by anybody else, that would be dangerous. Much less by her, an art -and certainly treasure-hunter. The little girl sobbing silently was now part of the past. 

\---

“It was him. The boy from the closet at B’s exhibition all those years ago” that moment, that enchanting warm scene was carved in her life like clay. Hakuei didn’t understand why she hadn’t told the man that she recognized him and about how happy she felt for seeing him after so long… “It’s true, he has stopped being that sweet boy that I once knew, only to become irresponsible and lazy as an adult.” She sighed. Hakuei was well aware that she was judging him too harshly without enough bases, but it made her feel better to criticize him, so she didn’t dwell on it too much.

With her eyes set on the piece hanging in her office, Hakuei tried to search within her memories, she didn’t know why but felt like she needed more details from that night. She could remember a pair of golden eyes staring at her, very similar to the ones on that thug’s face, but they weren’t Sinbad’s. Those eyes were kinder, looking from up high, very high… Feeling a bit restless, Hakuei tried to look into her personal papers, she could remember having kept a small old portrait of B, the only one she was able to find in her useless quest for the artist. “There you are!” she froze on the spot.

That dark shade of purple on his hair, eyes the color of gold… She couldn’t believe the resemblance. Two drops of water. What a discovery! Hakuei was really excited and proud of herself, even though she knew she now had to look further into this. 

“Eh… excuse me, are you busy?” Yamu peeked a little through the entrance. “Actually, I just… wanted… to as if you went… to see the sheriff?” She muttered nervously.

“Yes, I did… come in and sit. I’d like to tell you something and ask a few questions if that’s okay with you, of course.” 

It took Hakuei approximately one hour to explain to Ice cream why it was so important for her to find information linked to the painter of that magnificent piece. “And well, I’ve come to think that this man and the artist I’ve admired all this time could be related in some way, do you know how long he’s been living here, by any chance?” She didn’t dare voice her suspicions about Sinbad being the painter’s son, despite him having the right age and the perfect fitting of all the other pieces of the puzzle; her heart was beating more rapidly.

Yamuraiha was very jumpy, but Hakuei didn’t pay mind to that, her excitement wouldn’t let her see past her own thoughts at that moment. 

“I have no idea, Hakuei, but I’ll look into it for you” Yamu said and quickly walked out of the office. Ei went back to ignoring her strange behavior, a bold plan was already taking *shape in her head. Bold indeed, but also necessary and inevitable. 

\---

Yamu didn’t show up during the rest of the day, nor was she in her apartment, which turned out to be perfect for Hakuei; she would be able to sneak out tonight without having to worry about giving explanations. There weren’t many people she was acquainted with in this town, but she had still made some crucial connections that wound up sending her the Sheriff’s address, no questions asked. 

“Perfect” clad in her black outfit, her hair held in a high bum and directions in hand, she went out toward her destination. 

\---

The place was quite big and surprisingly devoid of colorful graffiti in its structure. He can live peacefully while the rest of us have to keep smashing into walls. Hakuei contemplated silently.

She looked at her surroundings and noticed a dim light coming from what would be the basement. She heard somebody walk out of the household and rushed to get closer to the window that touched the house’s floor. It was half-opened, and it would be difficult to get through it, but not impossible. Before walking in, Hakuei glanced toward the entrance and indeed, the police chief had stepped out. What she didn’t expect was Yamuraiha being there with him. They seemed to have a very serious conversation, Yamu seemed nervous and the man was frowning, but well, Hakuei hadn’t come all that way to catch idle gossip so she stealthily got back to the window, though not before getting a funny sensation in her stomach. 

Her breast and her butt were in a lot of pain. It had been very difficult for her to push them through but the goal had been accomplished, that’s what’s important. 

It was a wide room, despite having a number of tables in different sizes, boxes, paint cans—PAINT CANS? SPRAY? She shouldn’t be surprised about this thug being the ruffian she was looking for, really. But still she was baffled by his nerve. Now, Hakuei was in no place to point fingers, she was trespassing after all, out of pure curiosity. She loved investigative and psychological movies; they made her heart jump in her chest. At that moment, she felt just like one of the characters staring in them.

The lightning was faint but she could recognize certain objects; after coming closer to the biggest table in the room, Hakuei noticed a messy pile of instruments commonly used by an artist, or perhaps a curator… important tip. If this man had his father’s work in his possession she might be able to see them again, her dream would come true, yes, she felt it so close already. 

Ei started tapping the walls. That never failed, if someone wanted to hide something they buried it such places; between the walls, hidden rooms, behind bookcases, pillows, among other unusual places or objects, ones no one would usually think of looking into. 

At last, one of the walls made a hollow sound. Rather original of you, Sheriff. She snorted, throwing a half-smile to no one in particular. She then got back to the table to check if she could find any object that could help her create pressure in certain parts of the wall, but was roughly turned around. 

The next moment, Sinbad had her pressed close to him, they were in a very intimate position. “I could arrest you for trespassing, Miss Ren Hakuei” he whispered close to her ear, the touch of his breath on her skin making her shiver.


	4. Exposed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Following every detail step by step, the truth was about to be exposed.

“It is you, right? You are his son” Hakuei whispered, trying to ignore the proximity and the warmth that ran through her whole body.

“You shouldn’t be alone inside a man’s house at such late hours, it’s dangerous, you know?” Sinbad was all but purring while he nuzzled her neck. “Especially if said man is a complete stranger”

“Y-you aren’t… a complete stran—“ she stuttered, feeling weak on the knees.   
“Yes, I am” he cut her. “People change with time.

“But the essence remains”

“So you are still the crybaby you used to be long ago?”

“That is right, and I hope you are still the silly boy who couldn’t tell a chocolate smear from a birth mark… You should be ashamed of yourself, you are even older than I am” Sinbad couldn’t help but laugh. “Besides, you are a man of law, albeit not a very reliable one, I’ve verified” she threw a scathing glance toward the paint cans. 

He was still smiling as he guided her to look at his eyes. “I never said it was a chocolate smear, but you are correct, I still have problems telling them apart, let me try.” Hakuei didn’t have time to show her confusion as Sinbad was softly running his tongue through the left side of her chin, right where the dark mark was located.

Bringing their faces closer he whispered to a petrified Hakuei. “Now I’m sure, it isn’t chocolate, but it does taste good”

Ei didn’t know what was Sinbad talking about, she watched him articulating and moving in front of her but she couldn’t really listen to anything he was saying. Forcing herself to get back on track, she could finally hear him. “And well, I’ve already punished the offenders for the attack on your museum… It wasn’t me. I didn’t send them, you can believe that with all certainty.” He denied, noticing how her eyes went back to the spray cans.

She looked back at him. “What was the punishment? You’d better not have… done anything to them.”

“You’re starting to feel sorry for them now? Because I clearly remember you demanding a punishment this afternoon” Sin was giving her a curious look. 

“I just imagine that… they had their reasons to act in such a way… didn’t they, Sheriff?” Hakuei asked in a condescending tone.

Sinbad gave a sarcastic laugh and exclaimed “Your understanding is not at all necessary, child” the air turned heavy, inflexible. Hakuei tried to improve it; she didn’t wish to push away the man after her big discovery. 

“And… who gave you permission?”  
His confusion was almost imperceptible. “I don’t need permission to do anything, I am the man of law here, remember? Either way, I’ll bite, what do you mean?”

“To talk to me so casually, who gave you permission to talk to me like that?

“You do it to me”

“Because you told me I could, remember? She asked in the same snappy tone he had used. “Sinbad or darling, wasn’t it?”

Sinbad smiled. “You should probably go now”

“You are always throwing me out of places”

“It’s the best for you”

“Says who?”

The woman was awfully defiant. “I do. And as a man of—“ 

“I got it! As a man of law that you are, I owe you respect.” Hakuei cut in. “So, are you pardoning me for breaking into your house? Are there no punishments? Jail time and all that?”

“No, I won’t punish you this time unless you want to live through a new experience behind bars…”

No, thank you. I’ll go.” She walked a few short steps and Sinbad, still leaning on the table took her hand and pushed her towards his body, trapping her between his long legs… Looking at him directly, she found a frown and a shocking pair of clouded eyes. 

“I changed my mind, I think I will punish you after all” he kissed Hakuei demandingly, conveying certain anger and irritation which started to dissipate as the kiss grew deeper. When she brought her hands to caress his neck, he pulled away abruptly and turned his back on her. 

Hakuei understood that it was time to go, she walked to the door but before abandoning the room she muttered “That was not a punishment in any way”, closing the door behind her. 

As she walked back, Ei analyzed the situation. On the one hand, she was sure that this man didn’t want anyone finding out about his father, so in order to get some information out of him she would have to be more subtle. It was bound to be a hard feat but she’d have to work it out. 

Sinbad escorted her in the shadows throughout the whole way to her house.

“You’re finally home! I was so worried” Yamuraiha greeted when she saw Hakuei walk in. 

“I know that he is B’s son” Hakuei started while Yamu was serving some tea. 

Yamuraiha sat down next to her and decided to tell her what she knew, omitting certain part that weren’t hers to reveal. “Sin and his parents lived here several years, they moved because his father was an important member of the army; he was the pride of his people. Even when his superior officer was also from this town, it was Sinbad’s father who always got recognition. But he, after an intense battle he lost his leg…” she paused for a short moment and continued. “In time, they came back here and he started drawing, his paintings where truly amazing. All those who appreciated his art claimed to feel like there was something hidden in each piece. Little by little, with his fame growing he had to travel for his official exhibitions but negative rumors started spreading in the town and suddenly, all that admiration to the family turned into grudge, they were shunned by the townsfolk and people from the surrounding areas. After that, the only thing that was known about the ex-soldier and artist Badr was that he suffered and accident, and not long after his wife died as well…”

Ei needed to process all that information, what could those destructive rumors be about?

“I don’t know what the rumors were. After their deaths no one spoke of the subject again, and I don’t know why Sinbad came back to the town that turned its back on him and his family back then, either…” Yamu said before the questions she felt coming actually came out. 

“I know why he came back… to get revenge… Is Badr’s superior officer still alive?”

“Ah, yes, but he is very old already. He was always a pigheaded despicable man”

“I’m going to need you to provide me his address”

“Are you crazy?! What are you trying to do? I doubt Si… the Sheriff will be pleased with the idea of you going to that man’s place.”

“Then it’s a good thing I don’t owe any explanation to a lazy Sheriff like him, don’t you think?” Hakuei said and walked to her bed. The day had been tremendously long but enlightening. She was resolute about visiting the “despicable” man; for some strange reason, she felt it was that rude man she met that night on B’s exhibition hall.”

“Badr… At least your name has been revealed to me and that makes me really happy” she whispered to herself before falling asleep. 

 

\-----

A half smile adorned her face. She knew it was not right to enjoy the damage done to others, but what she was facing was just exhilarating.  
What had pushed Sinbad to come back to this small town was vengeance, Hakuei could say it with all certainty when she found herself facing the superior officer’s house, each part of the building painted in the most garish colors, an all-around disastrous appearance. 

Before she could walk to the first step of the stairs in front of the manor’s door, she was attacked from behind.


End file.
